Scholars of Sustenance rescues food from Pope visit to Bangkok

Scholars of Sustenance (SOS) is feeding the multitude by rescuing surplus foods from the visit of Pope Francis in Bangkok with an estimated 70,000 people attending

The miracle of the seven loaves and fishes in the bible is repeated every day in the life of the charity SOS. “We call it the SOS Magic, taking something of no value and turning it into rich nutrition for so many”, says Bo H. Holmgreen, Founder & CEO of SOS. “Surplus foods otherwise going to the landfill is quickly and safely rescued, inspected, and converted into wonderful nutrition for our recipients. Instead of rotting away in the landfill emitting toxic methane gasses, this valuable nutrition is served to our recipients in a timely and safe manner”.

One third of all food worldwide is wasted. Excess food ending up in landfills emits dangerous methane gases, instead of going to the purpose it was created for: HUMAN NUTRITION. SOS was designed to gather edible surplus foods from hotels, restaurants and supermarkets, inspect it and serve delicious, nourishing meals to the needy.

While all commercial kitchens struggle to reduce food waste due to customer service and quality considerations, every guest event has a necessary level of unavoidable food waste. SOS gathers such food from events ranging from weddings and conferences to large corporate gatherings and public events.

Last year, on World Environment Day, Pope Francis urged everyone “to make a serious commitment to respect and protect creation, to be attentive to every person, to counter the culture of waste and disposable, to promote a culture of solidarity and of encounter.” SOS was created on these principles using food rescue and education as the pillars of the foundation, serving the multitude by rescuing food and getting it safely to those in need.

By allowing the excess foods from an event to be picked up by SOS Cooling trucks and redistributed to the needy for free, event organizers can earn the coveted SOS FOOD HUNTER EVENT certificate. Sustainable and socially responsible hosts can be proud of such a distinguished designation as a truly “green environmental event” with empathy for those in need. The foods from such events are no longer lost instead feeding mouths in need. It’s good for the environment and good for the people!